How to rewrite

I’ve edited stuff professionally (non-fiction), been an active member of a critique group for many years, and completed a post-grad in creative writing, but I’m still very much a novice when it comes to rewriting. In fact, I think this book is the first one I have properly rewritten and not just edited.

The main thing I’ve learned (so far) is this: rewriting is not for wimps.

I always thought that rewriting was my favourite part because I loved making klutsy sentences into smooth ones. I enjoyed spotting inconsistencies and repeated words and broken metaphors, but the fact is I was confusing editing with rewriting.

Here’s what I think I know now: your first draft is Not A Book.

I thought I knew this before, but I was still holding onto the idea that I could somehow ‘spoil’ the book at the rewriting stage and that held me back from making big changes. I completely agreed with Laini Taylor on revising when she said:

Be clear-eyed and honest, and be brave. Open your mind to new ideas and new ways to make your story better. It’s never too late to make a bold change.

But I didn’t really get it. Not until I did it myself.

Now I think that the best way to think of your first draft is not as a pile of clay to be moulded but as a wide clearing in a forest after a storm. The clearing is surrounded by lightning-struck trees and boulders that have been tossed about by powerful winds. It’s filled with scattered branches, twigs and leaves. In short, it is a scene of destruction.

Rewriting is like gathering all that fallen wood and building it into a pyramid. Laying the big branches as structure and filling in the gaps with little branches and twigs, and throwing away all the wood that is too green or the wrong shape.

5 thoughts on “How to rewrite”

“I thought I knew this before, but I was still holding onto the idea that I could somehow ‘spoil’ the book at the rewriting stage and that held me back from making big changes.” Yep, that’s my attitude to rewriting in a sentence. Thanks for this post – I’m only starting out at the beginning writing stage, but I will keep this in mind when the time comes for rewriting. It’s always been my weakness! I might practice with some old short stories. 🙂